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Perfect Signatures Lead to Perfect Binding Success

With perfect binding projects, most of the planning centers on the covers. But the way signatures are prepared can impact production as well. Here are a few guidelines for designing and producing better signatures:

Small signatures - Avoid placing two- or four-page signatures at the front or back of a perfect bound book, as they are more difficult to bind securely. Whenever possible, two- and four-pagers should be placed between signatures to maintain uniform strength from the front of the book to the back.

Perforations - Some printers perforate signatures at the spine fold to release air, which allows the signatures to remain flat during folding and binding. Perforations and notches that are too large can weaken signatures, causing them to tear apart during production.

One low-tech test is to flick a perfed signature with your finger; if the paper between perfs splits, the perfs are removing too much paper. Contact Eckhart and Co. for additional help if selecting an appropriate perf size.

Grain matters - Stock with high fiber content is structurally more stable than low-fiber papers, which include lower-grade and recycled stocks. Regardless of the stock you use, the grain direction should be parallel to the spine, especially on thick or cover-weight stocks.